Paths

Maya: Dynamics Core Skills

This skill path is designed to take you from the end of the Maya: Core Skills skill path into a tightly focused study of building common visual effects elements for television and film using Autodesk’s Maya. This path will help build a strong foundation for working with the major dynamics systems of this extremely robust application.... Read moreRead less

Maya nParticle Fundamentals

Description

The nParticle System is an easy to use simulation system that can prove to be a very valuable asset to you. This course, Maya nParticle Fundamentals, will introduce you to the basic functions and tools you'll find when working within the nParticles toolset. First, you'll learn about working with Emitters, Particle Nodes, Fields, Colliders, and the Nucleus Solver. Next, you'll explore multiple particle types including point, ball, cloud, and water particles. Multiple rendering methods will be discussed including using Arnold and the Maya Hardware Renderer. Finally, after the basics have been covered, you will produce a project to showcase everything you've learned about the nParticle pipeline. By the end of this course, you'll know how to use Maya's nParticle System to create a huge variety of simulations. Software required: Autodesk Maya 2017.

Table of contents

Course Overview1m

Introduction to nParticles1h 14m

Working with Point Particles 1h 12m

Working with Ball Particles 59m

Working with Cloud Particles 40m

Working with Liquid Particles 38m

Creating an Energy Blast Effect Using Maya nParticles - Part 11h 2m

Creating an Energy Blast Effect Using Maya nParticles - Part 257m

Maya Fluid Fundamentals

Description

Have you ever had a wish to master the art of fluid dynamics of Maya? If so, this course is a perfect choice for you to began with. In this course, Maya Fluid Fundamentals, you'll learn the basics of Maya fluids and will collect the knowledge to create stunning visual effects. First, you'll learn the most basic and effective techniques of understanding the concepts of fluid dynamics in Maya. Next, you'll explore all the important fluid content details with detailed explanations to attributes and will explore the techniques of creating stunning fire, wispy-smoke, large-dense-smoke, and explosions. Finally, when you have understood the concepts of fluid containers and emitters, it's time to use them for production. When you are finished with this course, you'll have finally collected the confidence to proceed towards the art of creating your own fluid effects. Software required: Maya 2017.

Table of contents

Course Overview1m

Understanding the Concepts of Fluid Dynamics50m

Creating Fluid Emitters1h 3m

Understanding the Fluid Containers with Respect to Density35m

Studying Velocity and Turbulence26m

Understanding the Temperature29m

Understanding the Fuel34m

Creating the Cache of Fluid19m

Rendering the Fluids31m

Introduction to Bifrost in Maya

Description

Bifrost is the name of Maya's integrated FLIP fluid solver. It's great for users who want to create large scale fluid simulations without having to leave Maya's interface for a third-party tool. With this course, you'll learn some of the key workflows and fundamentals of Bifrost. Then, you'll take that knowledge to build a simulation you might find in a typical production pipeline. Software required: Maya 2016, SP5.

Table of contents

Course Overview1m

Understanding How Bifrost Works34m

Fundamentals of Bifrost59m

Using Bifrost in a Pipeline36m

Intermediate

Once you have a solid understanding of the concepts covered in the first section, the courses at the intermediate level will help to push your skills even further by combining multiple solvers into one project, and exploring more complex uses for Maya’s dynamic systems.

Maya Dynamics: nParticles and Expressions

Description

Have you ever wish to create effects of rain-dripping, smoke and dust, sand particle, and destruction of object through simulation in Maya? If so, this is the perfect course for you. In this course, Maya Dynamics: nParticles and Expressions, you'll learn nParticles and expressions for various effects and no prior knowledge is required. First, you'll discover how to block out particle emitters, nParticles, and external fields. Next, you'll learn the MEL expressions to modify and customize the nParticle and also able to create your own expressions and additional particle attributes. Finally, you'll explore various effects like rain-dripping, sand-particle, smoke, dust, and destruction with nParticles. When you are finished with this course, you'll have your own renders and a solid understanding of nParticles and expressions, which will further help you in creating complex particles effects. Software required: Autodesk Maya 2017.

Maya Dynamics: Using Particles to Create Magical Smoke

Description

Have you ever wondered how to simulate the magical smoke in tales of 'Arabian Nights'? This course, Maya Dynamics: Using Particles to Create Magical Smoke, is all about learning and mastering the techniques of how to simulate the complex behavior of Magical Smoke. First, you will discover the most effective methods to block out the particle system and fluid containers. Next, you will improve fluid container settings to create the complex smoke simulations. Finally, you will learn the art of rendering fluids in Arnold, which is a next generation rendering engine now available with Maya as the default renderer. When you are finished with this course, you will be familiar with new ways of controlling the complex fluid system. Software required: Maya 2017 and After Effects CS-6.

Table of contents

Course Overview1m

Creating Particles and Fluid Containers1h 0m

Rendering the Fluid Container of Smoke with Arnold48m

Blocking out the Dragon's Smoke container25m

Rendering the Dragon's Smoke29m

Maya Dynamics: Bifrost for Small-scale Simulations

Description

Though Bifrost is traditionally used for large-scale simulations, you can gain a powerful tool if you adjust this system to suit your needs. In this course, Maya Dynamics: Bifrost for Small Scale Simulations, you will first take a look at how you can work with gravity, liquid density, surface tension, and viscosity to change the typical large-scale behaviors of Bifrost liquids. Next, you will explore how you can change or turn off many of the adaptivities that traditionally make Bifrost a very fast and powerful large-scale simulator, but may cause quality issues with small-scale simulations. You will finish the course out by lighting and rendering out fluid in Arnold in Maya 2017. By the end of this course, you'll have good foundational knowledge of adapting Bifrost to suit your needs for small-scale simulations. Software required: Autodesk Maya 2017.

Table of contents

Course Overview1m

Introduction, Information About Bifrost, and Preparing Your Assets30m

Setting up the Basic Structure of the Simulation37m

Setting up the Scale, Quality, and Adaptivity43m

Caching out the Simulation, Meshing the Particles, and Exporting the Alembic Cache
34m

Lighting, Shading, and Rendering
38m

Maya Dynamics: nHair, Xgen, and Interactive Grooming

Description

Creation of hair in CGI, once a difficult and time consuming task, is becoming far more accessible and easier to create with every release of Maya. This course, Maya Dynamics: nHair, Xgen, and Interactive Grooming, will introduce users to the most important basic functions and workflows found within Maya 2017 to create Hair. First, you will begin learning about the nHair toolset. This will include several methods of hair creation as well as setting up dynamics for hair. Following this, you will be given a crash course in creating hair in Xgen. This will include working with groomable splines for short hair, as well as hair splines for longer hair. Finally, you will be introduced to the amazing new interactive grooming feature in Maya 2017, a feature that is sure to become the future of hair creation in Maya. By the end of this course, you'll know multiple methods, as well as the pros and cons of each of these methods, to create hair inside of Maya 2017. Software required: Autodesk Maya 2017.

Table of contents

Course Overview1m

Introduction to nHair - Part 011h 2m

Introduction to nHair - Part 021h 4m

Introduction to Xgen - Short Hair & Fur59m

Introduction to Xgen - Long Hair56m

Introduction to Interactive Grooming Splines1h 15m

Advanced

In this section you will have the chance to explore Maya’s ocean system, learn about data management for a large scale volumetric fluid simulation, and get your first taste of character effects using Bifrost and XGen.

Maya Dynamics: BOSS Ocean Simulations

Description

Creating CGI oceans is becoming far more accessible and easier with every release of Maya. In this course, Maya Dynamics: BOSS Ocean Simulations, you'll learn how to create realistic ocean surfaces with spectral waves, ripples, and wakes. First, you'll be introduced to how the BOSS system works. Next, you'll explore all of the ins and outs of the spectral wave solvers. Then, you'll discover how to layer multiple solvers together. Finally, you'll learn how to export your ocean simulation in several formats and how to create an ocean shader and render in Arnold in Maya 2017. By the end of this course, you'll have a better understanding of the BOSS system in Maya 2017. Software required: Autodesk Maya 2017.

Table of contents

Course Overview1m

Introduction & Project Overview12m

Working with the BOSS Editor28m

Working with the Spectral Wave Solver46m

Creating an Ocean Simulation in BOSS1h 1m

Setting up and Rendering an Ocean in Arnold57m

Simulating a Large Dust Storm in Maya

Description

In this Maya course, we will simulate a large dust storm with the help of Maya Fluids. Throughout these lessons, we will explore the attributes and an easy to follow method of simulating a computationally large effect. We will be covering in depth and detail the entire process of simulating a dust storm, wind motions, and finally turbulence of electric wires attached to poles. By the end of this course, you will have improved your knowledge of Maya fluids and have a better understanding for solving tricky simulations. Software required: Maya 2016.

Table of contents

Introduction and Project Overview0m

Simulating a Large Dust Storm in Maya1h 42m

Maya Character and Environment FX with Bifrost and XGen

Description

Go on the journey of learning environment and character creation. In this course, Maya Character and Environment FX with Bifrost and XGen, you'll learn techniques for building trees with Paint Fx, populating terrain with XGen and creating a creature using a liquid simulation. First, you'll discover how to build a tree from scratch with Paint FX. Next, you'll explore how to use expressions with XGen. Then, you'll create a dripping mud monster using the Bifrost liquid simulation. Finally, you'll learn how to render fog and using Arnold shaders. By the end of this course, you'll know how to build a forest of your own and bring it alive with mud and water. Software required: Maya 2017.

Table of contents

Course Overview1m

Project Overview: The Thing from the Swamp53m

Populating the Swamp30m

Building a Mud Monster21m

Putting It All Together25m

What you will learn

Fundamentals of nParticles

Fundamentals of Maya voxel based fluids

Fundamentals of nHair and xGen

Fundamentals of Bifrost and BOSS

Fundamentals of scripting MEL expressions for dynamics

Pre-requisites

A good understanding of Maya’s workflow is required. We recommend starting with the Maya: Core Skills path You’ll get the most out of this path when you’re familiar with Maya, but still need to enhance your skills in the areas of particles, fluids, and rigid bodies.

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